Fastener for crates and the like



Dec. 22, 1931,. A w ROB|N5QN 1,837,997

FASTENER FOR CRATES AND THE LIKE Filed April 15, 1930 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 22, 1931 ALBERT W. ROBINSON, OF LAUREL, DELAWARE FASTENER FOR CBATES AND THE LIKE Application filed April 15,

This invention relates to a fastener especially adapted for use upon the hinged lid of the form of crate now in common use for the packing and shipment of a plurality of bas- 5 kets of berries and other small fruits and is a modification of the fastener disclosed in Letters Patent issued to me on February 10,

The main object of the invention is to provide a crate fastener attaining all of the objects and possessing all of the advantages of the structure forming the subject matter of said application and enumerated in the specification thereof. The keeper has a single pro- 1 jection, preferably centrally disposed so that the structure and strength of the side walls thereof is not affected, which projection coacts with a slot in the hasp. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description in connection with the accompanying drawings proceeds.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a berry crate having my improved fastener mounted thereon, the hasp being shown in engagement with the keeper.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the hasp and keeper on a slightly larger scale than in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4: is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view similar to modified form, and v Figure 6 is a vertical sectionalview taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings and first to the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4;, 5 designates the body of a fruit crate, 6 the hinged lid thereof and 7 an attaching plate fastened to the upper face of the lid at the edge of the latter opposite to that which carries the hinges. The forward end of said plate 7 is loosely curled around a wire loop 8.

The hasp 9 is formed of a strip of resilient sheet metal and has its upper end twined or loosely coiled around loop 8 so as to be hinged to the plate. Preferably the hasp 9 is bent- Figure 2 of a their upper ends.

1930. Serial No. 444,550.

outwardly or ofiset at 10 between its end and then downwardly so that its lower end will be in advance of its upper or hinged end.

Said hasp 9 has a preferably central longitudinal elongated slot 11.

The keeper, designated generally at 12, is. formed of a strip of sheet metal preferably of thesame width and material as the hasp 9, bent to form a main portion 13 and end portions 1 1 and 1a which are in parallelism with the main portion 13 but in a plane rearwardly thereof and connected, respectively, to the latter by portions 15 and,15,preferably diverging from their lower ends toward As a result, the lower ends of the portions 15 and 15' are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the hasp 9 whereas thespace betweenthe upper ends of said portions is considerably greater than the width of said hasp,

The keeper 12 is secured to a side wallof the crate by means of rivets or nails 18 passing through the end portions 14 and 14 and engaging said side walls in such a position that, when the hinged lid 6 is swung into closed position," the hasp 9 may enter the space between the portions 13, 15 and 15 of the keeper and said side wall of the crate. The main portion 13 of the keeper 9 has its central portion bent or struck inwardly to form a rib 17 having a shoulder 19 at its lower end, for coaction with the slot 11. Said rib may be of any desired length or shape but as shown it extends throughout most of the width of the keeper, is arcuate in cross section, pointed at the top, and progressively increases in width and thickness in a downward direction. *The plate 7 is secured to the hinged lid of the crate, preferably to the upper face of the latter with the upper portion of the rear face of the hasp 9 bearing against the edge of said lid and the greater portion of the hasp depending below the lower face of the lid. The lower end of the hasp will accordingly project beyond the plane of the front edge of the lid. The keeper 12 is secured to the outerface of a side wall of the crate with the lower ends of its portions 15 and 15 in substantially vertical alignment, respectively,

ion

with the side edges of the hasp 9 and the slot and said hasp having a longitudinal slot en- 11 substantially in vertical alignment with the projection or rib 17.

When the lid 6 is swung into closed posimy tion, the lower end of the hasp will enter the space formed by the walls 13, 15 and 15 of the keeper and the outer face of the adjacent side wall of the crate. As the hasp 9 enters said space, the forward edge of its lower end will bear against the inner face of the main portion 13 of the keeper and if the hasp is not centered with respect to the keeper the hasp will engage one or the other of walls 15 and 15 and appropriately be moved laterally thereby so that the hasp will'be guided for proper engagement of its slot 11 by the shoulder 19 of the rib 17. When the lower end of said slot passes shoulder 19, the lower portion of the hasp will be permitted to spring forwardly to cause the slot to receive therib 17 and'the shoulder 19 toengage the lower end of the slot 11. In order to open the crate it is merely necessary for the operator to place one finger in contact with the lower portion of the hasp and press the same inwardly toward the crate body which moves the lower end of the slot 11 out of engagement with the shoulder 19. Thereupon the lid 6 may be raised or swing upwardly.

Various changes may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention-one of which is detailed in Figures 5 and 6. In this form the hasp 9? is identical with that at 9 in the preceding form and has a slot 11 like that at 11. A keeper 12 coacts with hasp 9 in structure and function identically like the keeper 12 except for an inwardly struck projection or rib 17 having a shoulder 19 at its lower end coacting with slot l1 similar to the coaction between the slot 11, projection 17 and shoulder 19 in the preceding form. The difference in the form of F igures 5 and 6 is that the rib 17 is much shorter than the rib 17. The keepers 12 and 12 may be made of metals of different char acters and the length and shape of the ribs will depend upon the character of the metal used in each instance. V I claim as my invention A fastener for crates or the like comprising a keeper having a forwardly offset por- .tion provided with side walls converging to.-

ward their lower ends, a hasp, means to pivotally mount the hasp at its upper end, said hasp adjacent said end having a portion adapted to bear against the crate to aid in tensioning-the hasp, the hasp also having forwardly and downwardly offset portions, the downwardly offset portion being movable into and out of the space formed by the offset portion of the keeper against said side walls for guidance to fastening position, the forwardly offset portion of the keeper having a substantially central inwardly struck rib,

gageable by said rib.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set hand. 7

ALBERT W. ROBINSON. 

